Kirkland woman arrested in mother's death

Published 10:00 pm, Sunday, July 6, 2003

KIRKLAND -- A Kirkland woman was arrested Monday in the death of her 75-year-old mother last year. The medical examiner said it was a case of caregiver neglect.

Kirkland detectives arrested the 56-year-old suspect at her home in Kirkland for investigation of homicide in the death of Margaret Brown, who died April 5, 2002, at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland.

The mother's death was ruled homicide by the King County medical examiner and attributed to "neglect by caregiver," according to the death certificate.

The suspect, whose last name is different from her mother's, was booked into the King County Jail.

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A lengthy investigation began with a tip to Kirkland police from Adult Protective Services in April 2002, according to Kirkland police Lt. Rex Caldwell.

Margaret Brown lived in Kirkland with her daughter, who was her primary caregiver. Brown was admitted to Evergreen Hospital on March 28, 2002, after her daughter called 911 and alerted Kirkland Fire Department aid crews that she couldn't lift her mother off the floor.

Investigators found Brown on the floor and determined she had been there for several days. She was dehydrated, malnourished and suffering from dysphagia, a condition making it very difficult to swallow. Brown died in the hospital several days later.